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10 Useful & Inspiring Gifts for New Cooks

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was The Kitchn's founding Design and Lifestyle Editor as well as Managing Editor of Re-Nest, Apartment Therapy’s late '00s green living site. She now thinks a lot about design, kids, and designy kids' things. She lives with her two daughters and their father in St. Paul, MN.
updated May 2, 2019
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
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Shopping for new cooks is a real pleasure. There’s so much excitement and optimism to work with! You could probably rattle off a list of must-haves in the kitchen (our

Essentials posts

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Starter Salt Set, $38 from The Meadow (Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

TOP ROW
• 1 Starter Salt Set, $38 from The Meadow: the best way to explore finishing salts, and something a new cook could get exited about!
• 2 End Grain Butcher Block, $175 from End Grain Butcher Blocks: Ok, this is the butcher block to end all butcher blocks, and a bit of a splurge. The end grain is better for knives and more sanitary than edge grain or plastic. And, with proper care, it’ll last forever.
• 3 Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef’s Knife, $24.95 from Amazon: A good-quality chef’s knife is essential. The Victorinox knives are budget-friendly, sharp, and super durable.
• 4 Lodge Pre-Seasoned 8-Inch Cast Iron Skillet, $11 from Amazon: If you have one pan in your kitchen, make it a cast-iron skillet. You can do almost anything with it, and it easily goes from the stovetop to the oven.
• 5 How To Cook Everything: The Basics, by Mark Bittman, $20 from Amazon: Bittman’s How To Cook Everything is a classic. But for absolute cooking novices, it’d be better to start with Bittman’s Basics book, which has pictures accompanying every technique and recipe – unlike the original, which has no photos.

BOTTOM ROW
• 6 Kitchen Conversion Poster, $28 from Sweet Fine Day: an easily accessible conversion chart is immensely helpful for new cooks. We love this version because it doubles as kitchen artwork!
• 7 Occhipinti “Gheta” Olive Oil, $28 from BKLYN Larder: teach your new cook to elevate olive oil beyond its everyday cooking qualities. A smaller, more expensive bottle with robust, peppery, or grassy elements feels like a special treat, and it’s perfect for finishing dishes and salads.
• 8 Hand-Carved Cherry or Maple Wooden Spoon, $50 from Live Wire Farm: Dana wrote about the beauty and value of a hand-carved wooden spoon, which she called a “once in a lifetime” purchase. Hand-carved spoons are usually expensive because of the time and labor involved, but this makes them a treasure, and a unique gift for a new cook. Need something a little more budget? Go for a basic wooden spoon set ($9.99 from Target).
• 9 Unicorn Magnum Pepper Mill, $31 from Unicorn: A high-quality pepper mill is so useful, and a definite cooking essential. Our readers love this Unicorn Magnum mill. If you’re willing to spend a little more, the Perfex Pepper Mill ($80 from Amazon) is almost perfect.
• 10 Labeled Kitchen Mixing Bowl Set, $59 from West Elm: these labeled multi-purpose ceramic mixing bowls have small spouts for less messy food prep. A heavy-duty stainless steel mixing bowl set is another keeper ($34 from Amazon).

Other Great Gift Buying Resources for New Cooks

• Where to Buy Artisanal and Specialty Foods Online: 9 Great Marketplaces: Get them excited about food and cooking with a few special ingredients!
• The Kitchn’s Guide to Essential Prep Tools and Utensils
• The Kitchn’s Guide to Essential Cooking Tools and Utensils
• The Kitchn’s Guide to Essential Cookware
• The Kitchn’s Guide to Essential Baking Pans
• The Kitchn’s Guide to Essential Small Electric Appliances
• The Kitchn’s Guide to Essential Cleaning Tools and Products

What are your favorite gifts to give new cooks?

Related:

Useful, Beautiful Kitchen Gifts Under $25

(Images: as linked)

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